The concept of civil discord had been everywhere I look lately. I didn't realize it until I was reading a LOTF novel (sorry, I read them back to back and they're now somewhat of a blur!) and something Ben Skywalker said really struck a nerve.

Ben's character has grown on me. Sure, he can be a little annoying at times (what adolescent isn't?), but it's the very nature of his adolescence that allows him to be a unique voice in the GFFA. Not quite a man, yet having gone through experiences that surely prevent him from ever returning to the mindset of a child, Ben asks the difficult questions that we jaded adults have learned to bury deep in out subconcious in the name of maintaining our sanity.

I like that Ben questions everything - himself and his actions, his devotion to his mentor, Jacen, the nature of the Force and the responsibilities that come along with his Force-gifts, even his own growing detachment from his parents, Mara and Luke. It's ironic that he resents dear old Dad so much, because this kid is most certainly a chip off the old block; he agonizes over his decisions, and never takes his role in the GFFA's conflicts lightly.

This is the young man we meet as the GFFA faces the prosepct of civil war. Corellia is leaning towards independence from the GA by any means necessary, and Coruscant is just as determined to keep them in the fold by any means necessary. In the midst of all this chaos, we have an adolescent who (1) has family on both sides of the conflict - genetically and philisophically - and (2) has a Grand Jedi Master for a dad and a future Sith Lord for a mentor.

Talk about teenage angst . . . did these guys not learn from the mistakes the Jedi Council made with Anakin (the Elder)?

Anyway, when Corellian 'terrorist 'attacks begin flaring up in Coruscant - some legitimate, some orchestrated by the government to justify swift, forceful action against the Corellian separatists - Ben is, understandably, confused. The GA forces are rounding up Corellian Coruscantis into internment camps, and there's much talk of catching and stopping 'them' before they do something else to hurt 'us'.

And although Ben is determined to prove he's as good a soldier as his elders, and he uses his jedi powers to help force these (mostly innocent) folks out of their himes, he finds himself wondering who exactly who 'they' are supposed to be. After all, Han's Corellian, Wedge is Corellian, he's grown up around Corellians all his life. They're human, he's human. And millions of them have lived in Coruscant all their lives, and although they might empathize with their home planet, their interests lie in the place they've always called home, along with thousands of other species.

Makes it hard to understand what all the fear, and fighting, is about.

This scenario really hit home with me. Having lived in post-9-11 New York City, I can definitely appreciate Ben's difficulty in understanding the mentality of people who can so easily categorize folks into 'us' and 'them'. Although I was proud of the way many New Yorkers reached out to their neighbors during these dark times, I was also appalled at how easy it was for hot-headed (or simply ignorant) folks to channel their hurt and anger into bitterness and violence.

To many, during these days people who were different were suddenly dangerous. Folks with Arabic first names (which many African-Americans, both Muslims and non-Muslims, happen to have) were barred from flights and subjected to humiliating strip-searches in airports. Sikhs, who apparently are indistinguishable from Muslims to someone who is simply ignorant, were taunted and beaten up on our city's streets. Same goes for Indian and Pakistani high school students, most of whom were born here, some of whom have brothers and sisters in the US military. And all the while, Muslim families who also lost loved ones in the Twin Towers were forced to deal with their burdens of grief and fear simultaneously. (Sadly, due to the recent arrests of Guyanese and Trinidadian terror suspects in Brooklyn, these groups are now also getting a bad rap.)

As a New Yorker, my definition of 'us' is much like Ben's. I hail from the Coruscant of our world. My neighbors represent just about every nation on the planet. So I empathize with his confusion when the adults around him suddenly decide that, due to the decisions of a handful of politicians, this group is heretofore to be labeled 'them', and that the folks in the 'us' group are justified in robbing them of their civil liberties in the name of providing stability in a galaxy facing danger - some of it real, some of it imagined.

All of this brings back memories of studying the internment of Japanese-Americans and the harassment of Mexican-Americans during WWII. I remember being astounded that a country that was intent on securing the freedom of others across the Atlantic could treat their own so horribly. Just goes to show you how quickly the 'us vs. them' mentality can take hold in an atmosphere where people are scared of what has already happened and even more terrified at the looming prospect of what might happen if their worst fears come to pass.

In the end, the difference between the groups we are quick to label 'them' and 'us' is usually virtually non-existent. Civil discord brings this reality into sharp focus, as Ben quickly learns when he's ordered to take up arms against some of the very same folks who fought alongside his father in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. (Ironically, even the dreaded YV, once they are given their own planet and a fresh start, end up being quite redeemable, as evidenced by the last two issues of Legacy).

The difference between us and our international neighbors isn't much greater. No matter where you are or what you look like, most people just want a chance to live a productive life with their loved ones, a life of fullfillment, happiness, and meaning.

Next up: To whom much is given, much is required - how SW, Heroes, and Marvel tackle the issue of using one's powers responsibly